thanks. I really would love to see her on the olympic podium. She has had so many good moments in her career, not got really unlucky in 2006.

My dream podium:

Sasha
Mao
Miki

I admire a person who will admit who they would like to see on the podium.
Many sit back and just have fun taking shots at them. That is pretty easy imo.

It is funny for me because I like Miki - and see talent, talent, and not enough results to match the talent. I can imagine Caro fans might feel the same way at times.

What I don't get is that Morozov is supposed to be so great - as a coach and choreographer - but it seems to me he is what holds Miki back. Her choreos seem so inferior to Yuna that it feels impossible to me that Miki can beat a healthy Yuna. There just seems to be no comparison between Wilson and Morozov and how they present a skater's strengths - and hide their weakness.

Maybe I am wrong - and maybe I overestimate Miki - but her choreo seems mediocre at best. It reminds me of Johnny's choreo - good at moments - and then lacking in transitions and musicality - and an understanding of CoP requirements.

If everyone crashes and falls Miki can win - but I don't think she can beat the top skaters if they perform well. Her choreo and the way she is presented does not seem as good as the other contenders.

It is funny for me because I like Miki - and see talent, talent, and not enough results to match the talent. I can imagine Caro fans might feel the same way at times

Uh, Ando has one World title - and Kim and Asada are so much more successful with - oh, wait: also one World title each. Kim may have two Bronze medals in comparision to Ando's one and Asada may have a Silver in contrast to Ando's Bronze in 2009 (though I thought that Ando should have not only won the free over Rochette, but also overall placed better).

So if one World title and a World Bronze (plus several good placements) in the past three years are not successful - what is? Yes, she has had a few more years in senior competitions than Asada and Kim, but I don't think that that diminishes her accomplishments. She managed to overcome a rather traumatic Olympics, she fixed her Flip take-off, she recovered from the shoulder injury enough to be able to compete fully again.

And I really don't think that Morosov's choreography is that bad. I rather liked it, for both the Saint-Saens free and the Geisha short. It's not less original or generic than Nichol.

I think it's one of those generalisation cases in figure skating: fans these days are simply saying "Bad choreography" when they see the name Morosov. It's simple and easy to think like that. It's just how Joubert will always be known for his "Bad spins" - he could become the male version of Czisny, and people would still complain about the spins.

Yes, Morosov's choreography is not for everyone - e.g. it wasn't a great fit for Rippon. But others did extremely well with it and the programs were famous, as Takahashi's Techno Swan and his Phantom of the Opera.

Not every Morosov program is automatically crap (can you say that on Goldenskate?), not every Wilson program is the next coming and not everything Nichol does for the ladies is pwetty pwincess and boring.

It took me a while to 'get' Ando, but I'm a big fan now.
She's the only true diva in skating at present, sailing from giddy highs to crashing lows and back up again. Following her can be emotionally exhausting - but never dull.

Uh, Ando has one World title - and Kim and Asada are so much more successful with - oh, wait: also one World title each. Kim may have two Bronze medals in comparision to Ando's one and Asada may have a Silver in contrast to Ando's Bronze in 2009 (though I thought that Ando should have not only won the free over Rochette, but also overall placed better).

Swan and his Phantom of the Opera.

Not every Morosov program is automatically crap (can you say that on Goldenskate?), not every Wilson program is the next coming and not everything Nichol does for the ladies is pwetty pwincess and boring.

We will see what happens in Vancouver. Personally, I have very little belief in this "Russian magic" of taking a skater someone else has trained and then "making them a champion." I think so many "people" hear like to criticize Frank Carroll. LOL - all he has done is taken little ones and taught and developed them into champions. There is one heck of a difference in training and taking a skater to the top - as opposed to taking a skater Miscin trained and then taking the credit for their championships 1-2 two years later.
It is pretty clear - some coaches can train and develpop champions and others can't. Like vultures, they are there to pick off great talents and then after a year or so take big credit. That sums up Tat pretty well, no?
I am not really a "Johnny" fan - but any dope can see he was better under his original coach. She atleast was good at disguising his lack of musicality. The poor dude is totally tone deaf and couldn't skate himself out of a burning barn. Posing is not musicality.. Drama is nice for those who can't tell the difference.Maybe Joe knows what I am talking about

We will see what happens in Vancouver. Personally, I have very little belief in this "Russian magic" of taking a skater someone else has trained and then "making them a champion." I think so many "people" hear like to criticize Frank Carroll. LOL - all he has done is taken little ones and taught and developed them into champions. There is one heck of a difference in training and taking a skater to the top - as opposed to taking a skater Miscin trained and then taking the credit for their championships 1-2 two years later.
It is pretty clear - some coaches can train and develpop champions and others can't. Like vultures, they are there to pick off great talents and then after a year or so take big credit. That sums up Tat pretty well, no?

This is an extremely unfair assessment of coaching. What on earth is this "Russian magic" of taking a skater someone else has trained and making them into them into a champion? True, Tarasova usually takes on students who have been trained by others previously, but her strength is polishing up skaters who have their basics already solidified. This is what she does best, and is there anything wrong with someone who decides to focus on something they're best at?

Plus, the vast majority of coaches (of various nationalities) take on students that are trained by others previously. For example, Frank Carroll himself has recently taken on Mirai Nagasu and Carolina Kostner, who were both trained by somebody else. Evan Lysacek is another example of a skater who Frank Carroll has not personally trained from childhood--and Caroll has certainly coached Lysacek into a championship skater (and he is credited with it too). If Tarasova is a "vulture," then so is Frank Carroll. And Brian Orser. And Richard Callaghan. And Rafael Artunian. And most coaches in the entire world of elite figure skating.

And I really don't think that Morosov's choreography is that bad. I rather liked it, for both the Saint-Saens free and the Geisha short. It's not less original or generic than Nichol.

I agree. Maybe Miki does not have the natural ability to take on choreography and sell it like Yu-na does, but Morozov seems to play up her strengths (she can do a good dramatic and so he gives her dramatic programs) and mask her weaknesses pretty well. "Geisha" had some very nice moments--I personally liked the hand twirling down on her spiral.